Countdown: 50 weeks

That’s right. Though time seems to be chugging along in slow motion right now. A lot of that probably hinges around the fact that Mia and I are still apart for another 6 or 7 weeks. With her graduation in sight, we will finally put the 14 months of long distance dating to bed and really start working toward our journey. After she moves to California, you’ll probably see a lot more of her posting.

I’ve been really glad it’s baseball season again, because at least it’s helping to bide the time. The A’s are off to a so-so start, but it’s reminded me how much I love the game. It’s definitely going to be one of the intangible elements of the States that I will miss a lot. The casual Sundays on the couch watching games will be no more, but the creature comforts we’re trading in are a lot more exciting than watching the Yankees lose (maybe).

When people ask me about how much longer until we leave, I always get a sense of shock when I tell them, “next April.” For many, they wonder why we’re looking so far into the future to plan this. Well, I don’t know that we’re trying to get every detail covered now, or even soon. But from all the firsthand and secondhand anecdotal advice I’ve been getting, many wished they had planned their journey even more in advance than a year.

Some people even plan this two years out. I guess if you have a car, a mortgage and a family, you’re going to need more time to figure out your own plan. But if you’re like us, you probably need to break away from your job for a bit and try something new. Or maybe you’re transitioning from one life to another. I think both can describe Mia and I. I’m hoping our trek will give me a renewed burst of creative energy and spirit to make me more employable (not less).

That said though, I do think two years of planning is excessive. I don’t pretend to know what will happen one year from now, and two seems like an eternity. But many of us live and die by our calendars. This journey will make our calendars obsolete and in the end, maybe it’ll make us appreciate the value of a day.